The present invention relates to carriers for articles, such as tumblers, goblets, and the like, that are used to pack the articles for shipping and to display them for sale. These carriers do not fully enclose the articles so that prospective purchasers can be attracted by their appearance and can inspect the articles before purchasing them.
Numerous display carrier designs are known. Typically, the carriers are formed of a naturally resilient material such as heavy paperboard or cardboard. Known carriers include one or more latch mechanisms for engaging an article inserted in a carrier. For an article, such as a can or a tumbler, having an open or chimed end, latches may consist of a resilient tab formed from multiple thicknesses of the carrier cardboard. The multiple thickness tab is hinged to and pressed against a top or bottom wall of the carrier as the article is inserted into the carrier and, after article insertion, the tab springs into position within the open or chimed end of the article. Other latches include a panel that extends from an edge of a wall of the carrier and ends in a flap that is glued at the center of the carrier to provide an upstanding wall. One or more of the resulting oblique walls extending from the carrier wall edge to the center of a carrier has cut into it one or more openings, each for receiving a goblet foot or a closed end of a tumbler. The natural resilience of the cardboard from which the carriers are typically constructed allows insertion of the goblet foot or tumbler end into the opening under an appropriate urging force, but prevents easy withdrawal of the retained article end.
Typically, the latches for retaining a goblet foot or tumbler end prevent removal of an article without destroying the carrier. In manufacturing, this constraint generally requires destruction of a carrier that is incorrectly loaded or in which an article must be replaced. In addition, since a potential customer cannot easily withdraw the article to inspect it without damaging the carrier, some carriers are damaged on retail shelves and some customers are lost because of the inability to inspect the articles free of the carrier. In addition, the multiple thickness tabs used in known carriers are wasteful of carrier material. That is, multiple thickness tabs increase the expense of the carrier.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a carrier for articles in which articles could be freely inserted and withdrawn without damage to the carrier. In addition, it is desirable to provide such a carrier with a secure latch or retainer so that the withdrawable articles may be securely held within the carrier unless intentionally withdrawn. Moreover, it is desirable to have a carrier employing a single thickness tab for retaining an open or chimed end of an article that reliably and securely retains an article within the carrier.